Woman Arrested for Photographing a Public Display of Helicopters

A woman saw an airport display of helicopters. She slowed her car, drove closer, and took pictures from her car window. She was on public property at all times. She planned to post it on her “Support Our Troops” website.

She was approached by a policemen, who demanded to know what she was doing. He grabbed the camera.

He demanded that she remain where she was.

He then radioed the county sheriff’s office that she posded a terrorist threat.

Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff Robert Carlock responded to the scene, along with various members of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. When Deputy Carlock arrived, he placed cameras on the roof of his vehicle, aimed at Nancy Genovese and her 18 and 20 year old sons who had come to the scene at this point to help their mother. Deputy Carlock ordered all three of them to stand directly in front of the cameras, and not to move.

Officials from the airport, as well as other local and federal law enforcement agencies also responded, including, without limitation, the Southampton Police Department, the Westhampton Police Department, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. Nancy was questioned on the side of the road for approximately five to six hours, from about 6pm until midnight, denied food or water, and denied the opportunity to use a restroom, all without having received any warnings as to her rights.

She had been at the local shooting range earlier in the day. She owns a rifle.

The cop came across her unloaded rifle. It was in a locked case.

The policeman tauntyed her: “You’re a real right winger, aren’t you?”, and stating in words or substance that she was never going to see her rifle again.

During the remainder of the six hours that Nancy Genovese was forcibly detained on the side of the road, she was taunted, verbally harangued, threatened, belittled, abused, humiliated and harassed by members of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. For example, Deputy Carlock repeatedly referred to Nancy as “a right winger” and “tea bagger”, and threatened that they were going to arrest her for terrorism to make an example of her to other “tea baggers” and “right wingers”.

Around midnight, officials from the airport and federal law enforcement agencies determined that Nancy posed no terrorist or other security threat. Once most of the other law enforcement officials left the scene, Deputy Carlock ordered Nancy Genovese to be handcuffed by another member of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Before placed in handcuffs, Nancy attempted to give her purse containing her wallet and cell phone to her sons. Her wallet contained approximately $13,000 in cash, money she was holding to pay tuition that day for her son’s college and her daughter’s Catholic school tuition. Deputy Carlock refused to allow her sons to take her bag, and ordered her to leave it on the front seat of her unlocked vehicle, even after being informed of the value of its contents. When Nancy’s sons objected, Deputy Carlock threatened to arrest them if they touched it, and ordered them to leave the scene. Not knowing what to do, they left.

When Nancy’s sons responded to a call from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office in the early morning hours to pick up their mother’s vehicle from the roadside, they found $5,300 of the $13,000 missing. The money was never returned. In addition, the contents of the glove compartment box was missing, and there was damage to the body of the car, particularly around the trunk.

Around midnight, after her sons were ordered to leave upon threat of arrest, Nancy was transported, in handcuffs, to the Suffolk County Jail. While in a holding cell, Deputy Carlock continued to verbally harass Nancy, telling her “you will pay”, and admitting that they had nothing to charge her with, but that he would “find something in order to teach all right wingers and tea baggers a lesson.”

While in her holding cell, Nancy Genovese was interrogated by Suffolk County Undersheriff Caracappa without receiving any warnings as to her rights. Her requests to speak to a lawyer were ignored. Following her “interrogation”, Undersheriff Caracappa informed her that she was being arrested and charged with “terrorism.”

It got worse. You can read the article to fund out how much worse.

Of course, it’s her word against theirs. I don’t know how she can prove all of it.

She has filed a $70 million lawsuit.

That seems a bit excessive to me. I think a $5 million lawsuit would have been sufficient, with an out-of-court settlement of $2 million.

Citizens who have been treated unconstitutionally need to send the cops a message. A successful lawsuit sends a clear message.

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29 thoughts on “Woman Arrested for Photographing a Public Display of Helicopters”

A successful lawsuit sends a message if the cops actually get disciplined. If all that happens is the taxpayers have to pony up more money, I'm not really sure how that sends a message. Her settlement should insist on the termination of these officers. I'm betting it won't. I'm guessing, she'll take the money.

Just so you know. A law enforcement officer misbehaving under the color of law has whatever wrong he is committing automatically escalated to a felony. A citizen can use up to and including LETHAL force to stop a felonious law enforcement officer. Says who? The United States Supreme Court. Go search a law database using Lexus Nexius, West Law, Lois Law or any other major search engine. If you live near a law school library use that.

The public doesn't generally know this and the cops sure as H don't want you do. But one very serious word of warning you had better be darn right before squeezing that trigger.

Absolutely. The choice is "left or right wingers". I saw in yesterday's news that 2011 was a deadly year for cops.
I'm beginning to understand. This year will surpass 2011. Her sons received a good lesson in civics. ??

Just another case of the coming facism. It starts at the top and trickles down to law enforcement agencies. I've heard of this kind of corruption, especially in the southern states. If you're legally transporting a large amount of cash, the cops confiscate it with the assumption it's gun or drug money. Start practicing your nazi salute. If you don't do it or don't do it right, they'll arrest you.

After reading thru this entire article-I give this woman a merit badge for perserverance!I hope she wins this case against these power crazed aholes they call "officers of the law".I believe were I in her position-that I would persist in the lawsuit,take the money and move to another state,then return and" pull a rambo" on all of these-so called law enforcemt officers.Paybacks!NewYork really needs to clean up it's act!

There's not, not if you're against Obama. That is what the NDAA law is for~they can detain you for no logical reason, not give you your rights, & abuse you if they wish. And, the liberals are so stupid they don't realize that this is going to partain to them as well as conservatives, once the Muslims start running things.

$10,000 is all you are "allowed" to carry.. anything else, they will take, no matter how earned…

after this, we are still NOT going to do anything so what is this worth.. nothing,, ,Why? because the citizens of that town now, not only have to pay for the illegals let in but, have to pay for the default, so no one learns any kind of lesson..

so no one wins.. The lady who got screwed over badly and her family…

I would be in prison if anyone did that to my mother.. Defend the family first… God will understand.. Who cares about the government, their ruled by Satan…

There is obviously something going on at that air port they do not want uncovered and this is a clear discovery of something-they're really scared in that area for some reason that ought to be looked into and she ought to sue all of them-everyone that was there for racial and political discrimination and lock these asses up forever!

First of all, she was within her legal rights, 2nd, the moron policemen should have their badges taken from them, 3rd, the city and the authorities should have the "you know what" sued out of them. I was in the Air Force for many years and in several bases throughout the U.S. Any public static display (in public view) is open for pubic viewing and photographs. If they don't want these displays in public view, the base commander would have these helo's, or what ever, warehoused or parked on the back side of a facility out of public view. No accounting for common sense from the leftist pig cops. I bet that these cops were not prior military, but hand pick Obama thugs. They are infiltrating our police force throughout this country. America, wake up!

Every single one of these men should go to prison for a long long time! After I read the whole story, I thought $70 million is not enough money. She should have gon for $100 million! There's not words vile enough for what those pigs did to an innocent woman. I wouldn't blame the woman if she decided to put a few bullets into them.

Yes, & a LOT of Republicans voted for it too. I believe even McCain did, but not sure if that's what it said or not. Our WHOLE nation is in some absolute horror coming down the road, things that none of the younger generation will know how to handle.

Not to revenge killing He doesn't. Two wrongs don't make a right. She is doing this legally, which probably won't do much good, but, IF enough of a public outcry is raised, the cops MAY lose their jobs, or at least quit to avoid the negative publicity. And then, on Judgment Day, they'll receive their just reward. Which is why God's word says, 'Vengeance is mine..' Protecting yourself or family, is one thing,but to seek revenge is NOT right.

Nancy is obviously one of the first dissidents arrested in our new Police State. Just think about how much worse this is going to get! The citizens of the U.S. need to stop being concerned about their safety and getting everything they need from the government. Instead they need to think about their freedoms and their Rights. Police will even place someone in a mental institution to avoid investigating a difficult case. The fact that the FBI, DHS, and the Police are treating ordinary citizens who could have no possible relationship to terrorism like terrorists, behaving like thugs themselves, is something that has to be stopped. Romney needs to be asked to end TSA and DHS immediately on taking office. Congress needs to be asked to defund TSA and DHS. Ordinary citizens will be destroyed by this group that gives a pass to those who most resemble terrorists, those with the obvious ethnicity and wearing the garb that resembles that of terrorists, and persecutes and imprisons those who do not resemble and could not possibly have any relationship with terrorists. The more of these thugs that we allow our government to hire, the worse the situation will get. These Law Enforcement agencies are not for the purpose of protecting the people, but for accomplishing a Communist agenda. Persecution of Nancy is a heinous crime perpetrated by the DHS, FBI, and Law Enforcement. And notice that the cowards did this to a female.

They (the police) should not only have their badges taken from them. They should also have to pay for the lawsuite and serve a lengthy time in prison, without protection from the other inmates. Every "official" involved in this should be removed from office, forfeit all benefits including retirement funds and placed in prison.

This country has been going down hill for quite awhile with the police departments leading the way.I can readily believe this lady is telling the truth. Something very similar happened to me in South Florida Two different times with in a period of 18-months. .

At one time I would cringe and get mad as hell when the news would report about police being killed or injured in the line of duty.Before I get mad or cringe anymore, I wait until the whole story is told. and most of the time we the people do not hear the whole story or truth.

As a retied officer of 30+ years, I can tell you that these IDIOTS are NOT typical of all officers. It's IDIOTS like these that make all officers look bad. The rest of us hate these power infected blue light dumb-ass's more than the citizens do. In her law suit she should also demand that the officers that abused her be FIRED and lose their state licenses so they can never be police officers again. Harrasing is not part of their job. When the FBI AND Homeland security turned her loose, the local SO should have done the same! I think that 70 million is way too much as it will be payed by the citizens of that county and not the offending officers! One last thing, I think that the offending officers should have to come up with the missing money. The officers should have made an inventory of the contents of the vehicle. She could have lied and said thee was a lot more money stolen!

This incident should help even the most ignorant realize we are living a police state. I hope she wins every penny of what she is asking and every cop involved is fired. Who are the real terrorist in this case?